Ratchet-wrench.



No. 755,466. PATENTED MAR. 22, 1904. J. H. DUNDON. RATGHET WRENCH.APPLIOATION FILED JULY 2, 1903. no MODEL.

- 8nmrm John H.Dundon.

33% 1 after" UNITED STATES Patented March 22, 1904.

PATENT OEETCE.

RATCHET-WRENCH- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.755,466, dated March 22, 1904. Application filed July 2, 1903. Serial164,071. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. DUNDON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio,have invented new and useful Improvements in Ratchet-Wrenches, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to wrenches of the sliding or quick-adjustmenttype, and has for its object to provide an improved wrench of thischaracter embodying the necessary qualifications for a quickly-adjusted,powerful, and non-slipping tool.

Many types of ratchet-wrenches provide for a quick adjustment of thesliding member or jaw, but are of little use on account of the 00-operating ratchet elements slipping when pressure is applied to thewrench upon an object by reason of. the lack of adequate means formaintaining the ratchet elements in non- 'slipping locked engagementafter the sliding member or jaw has been properly set to its adjustedposition upon an object. Also in many types of ratchet-wrenches theconstruction is of such a character as to render it impossible toprovide the ratchet action and at the same time secure asufiiciently-strong interlocked connection between the ratchet elementsto withstand all uses of the wrench.

It is the purpose of the present invention to entirely obviate theforegoing and other objections to many of the ordinary types ofratchet-wrenches by providing an improved construction of ratchet-wrenchwherein the sliding member or jaw may be freely and rapidly moved ineither direction upon the shank or stem of the tool, while at the sametime embodying simple and effectual means for locking the ratchetelements in positive engagement after the sliding member or jaw has beenmoved to a set position, thus rendering it impossible for the same toslip out of such position no matter what stress or strain is imposedupon the tool while engaged with the object. In this connection theinvention contemplates asimple form of locking device associateddirectly with the catch-pawl and which is conveniently and quicklyadjusted to locking and inactive positions by a simple manipulation ofthe thumb or finger of the hand.

With these and many other objects in view, which will more readilyappear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the sameconsists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of'parts,which will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, andclaimed.

The essential feature of the invention involved in the simple and novelrelation between the spring-pressed catch-pawl and the screw-lockingdevice carried by the sliding member of the wrench is necessarilysusceptible to some structural modification without departing from thescope of the invention; but a preferred embodiment of the latter isshown in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of an ordinary monkey-wrench embodying the improvementscontemplated by the present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailsectional view of the sliding member or jaw of the wrench and a portionof the shank, said view exposing the novel relation and mounting of thecatch-pawl and the locking device or screw. Fig. 3 is a detail inperspective of the preferred form of spring-pressed catch-pawl, whichcooperates with the ratchet-face of the shank and also with thelocking-screw.

Like reference-numerals designate corre* sponding parts throughout theseveral figures of the drawings.

In carrying out the invention the same may be applied to all types ofwrenches embodying a sliding adjustment for one of the jaws thereof,thus being adapted not only to the ordinary forms of nut-wrenches, butalso to pipe-wrenches and the like. However, as the improvementpossesses special utility in connection with the usual form ofmonkey-wrench such embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawingsfor illustrative purposes.

Referring particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates theshank of the wrench, carrying at the outer end thereof the fixed outerjaw 2 and having fitted upon its inner portion the ordinary handle 3. Inthe carrying out of the present invention the shank 1 is provided, atthe inner side thereof, with a ratchet-face 4 of suitable extent andconsisting of a uniform series of ratchet-teeth similarly beveled uponboth sides to permit the catch-pawl 5 to freely slip thereover in eitherdirection when the sliding jaw member 6 is moved upon the shank inadapting it to any particular object. The said ratchet-teeth 4 arenecessarily of a size in proportion to the size of the wrench and arearranged in close or wide spacing, according to the fineness ofadjustment to be provided for the sliding jaw member, so in this respectconsiderable modification may be resorted to without departing from thespirit of the invention.

The catch-pawl 5, cooperating with the teeth of the ratchet-face 4, iscarried by the sliding jaw member 6. In the construction shown thissliding jaw member is of the usual form and includes the inner jawproper, 7 the perforated cuffs or yokes 8, slidably embracing thewrench-shank 1, and the main slide-section 9, arranged in the intervalbetween the cuffs or yokes 8 and disposed atone side of thewrench-shank.

The main slide-section 9 of the sliding jaw member is longitudinallychambered or recessed to provide a pawl-chamber 10 of sufiicient lengthto freely accommodate the movement of the pawl 5 and open at the sidenext to the shank 1 to permit the point of the pawl to properlycooperate with the ratchet-face 4. The said pawl 5 essentially consistsof a straight bar pivotally supported at what may be properly termed itsouter end upon a transverse pivot-pin 11, mounted in the body of thesliding jaw member 6 and preferably of a large size, so as to withstandany extra strain or pressure that may be imposed upon the tool. of thebar constituting the pawl 5 leaves the other or inner end of the samefree to move. At such inner end the pawl is provided with a beveledengaging tooth or point 12, arranged at one side and adapted to rideover the beveled ratchet-teeth 4, besides having a locking engagementtherewith in connection with the means to be presently referred to.

The beveled engaging tooth or point 12 at the free end of the pawl 5 isheld in working relation to the ratchet face or teeth 4, preferablythrough the medium of an adjustingspring 13, secured fast at one end, asat 14, to one side of the pawl 5 and arranged to have its free end 14bear against the outer side wall of the pawl-chamber 10, whereby thepressure ofsaid spring will be" exerted in a direction for normallythrusting the free end of the pawl toward the shank.

A distinctive feature of the present invention resides in the employmentof a locking device cooperating with the pawl 5 for securing the pointthereof in locked engagement with the ratchet-face at any pointthroughout The pivotal mounting at one endv the extent thereof. Thislocking device consists of a screw rod or section 15, whose threads arepreferably of a high pitch, whereby a slight turn of the screw or rodwill impart thereto a quick adjustment in a longitudinal or axialdirection. The threads of the screw-rod 15 engagecorrespondingly-pitched threads 16 of a nut element 17 provided at oneend of the sliding jaw member 6 and preferably an integral part thereof.The threaded opening of the nut element 17 is disposed in parallelism tothe shank 4, and consequently the screw or screw-rod 15 is likewisedisposed in parallelism to the wrench-shank and longitudinally of thesliding jaw member 6. The outer end of the screw 15 projects below andbeyond the nut element 17 and has fitted thereto an offstandinglever-handle 18, designed to be engaged by the thumb or finger of thehand for turning the screw-rod in either direction, according as it isdesired to lock or release the pawl 5.

The inner end of the locking device or screw 15 projects into one end ofthe pawl-chamber 10 and is provided with a binding-nose 19, of round orother practical form, which is designed to have a movement into and outof a chamfered lock-seat 20, usually of rounded shape and formed at thefree end of the pawl 5 in the side opposite the engaging tooth or point12. When the locking device or screw 15 is turned to a position with thebindingnose 19 thereof projecting into the lock-seat 20, and thereforebearing against the free end of the pawl 5, the engaging tooth or point12 of the latter is necessarily held bound orclamped in lookingengagement with the ratchet-face 4, and consequently serves to securethe sliding jaw in its adjusted position and against any strain,pressure, or jerk that may be placed thereon. By turning the lockingdevice or screw upon its axis in the nut element 17, so as to carry theinner bindingnose thereof out of engagement with the free end of thepawl, the latter becomes released, so as to permit of the sliding of thejaw member 6 freely in either direction upon the shank.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, action, and manyadvantages of the herein-described ratchet-wrench will be readilyapparent without further description, and it will be understood thatchanges in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention orsacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

' Having thus described the invention,what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is

1. In a ratchet-wrench, the combination with the shank having aratchet-face, of the sliding jaw member having a nut element, aspringpressed catch-pawl pivotally held at one end to the sliding jawmember, and a locking-screw mounted in the nut element and arranged toseat, and a locking device consisting of a screwrod mounted in the nutelement in parallelism to the shank and provided at its outer end with'an operating-lever handle and at its inner end with a binding-nosemovable into and out of the said lock-seat.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN H. DUNDON. Witnesses:

E. W. BURRELL, L. E. ANDERSON.

